The Physical Conditions in a Pre Super Star Cluster Molecular Cloud in the Antennae Galaxies

TL;DR

This study analyzes an extreme molecular cloud in the Antennae Galaxies, revealing its potential to form a globular cluster under high external pressure and early evolutionary stage, with implications for globular cluster formation theories.

Contribution

It provides detailed physical characterization of a pre-globular cluster molecular cloud in a merging galaxy environment, highlighting the role of external pressure and turbulence.

Findings

Cloud has radius $oxed{ extless} 24$ pc and mass $>5 imes 10^6$ M$_ ext{sun}$.

Lacks thermal radio emission, indicating an early stage of star formation.

External pressure needed for confinement is $oxed{ extgreater} 10^8$ K cm$^{-3}$.

Abstract

We present an analysis of the physical conditions in an extreme molecular cloud in the Antennae merging galaxies. This cloud has properties consistant with those required to form a globular cluster. We have obtained ALMA CO and 870$\mu$m observations of the Antennae galaxy system with $\sim 0".5$ resolution. This cloud stands out in the data with a radius of $\lesssim 24$~pc and mass of $>5\times 10^6$~M$_\odot$. The cloud appears capable of forming a globular cluster, but the lack of associated thermal radio emission indicates that star formation has not yet altered the environment. The lack of thermal radio emission places the cloud in an early stage of evolution, which we expect to be short-lived ($\lesssim 1$~Myr) and thus rare. Given its mass and kinetic energy, for the cloud to be confined (as its appearance strongly suggests) it must be subject to an external pressure of P/$k_B \gtrsim 10^8$~K~cm$^{-3}$ -- 10,000 times higher than typical interstellar pressure. This would support theories that high pressures are required to form globular clusters and may explain why extreme environments like the Antennae are preferred environments for generating such objects. Given the cloud temperature of $\sim 25$~K, the internal pressure must be dominated by non-thermal processes, most likely turbulence. We expect the molecular cloud to collapse and begin star formation in $\lesssim 1$~Myr.